Elton John has archived his entire recording session with Ray Charles, because he's convinced it was the blind soul great's last studio visit.

Elton agreed to record a duet of his hit SORRY SEEMS TO BE THE HARDEST WORD with his hero for an upcoming Ray Charles album while he was putting the finishing touches to his own album in Los Angeles.

And he admits the session was particularly tough - because everyone was sobbing.

Elton explains, "I was finishing off my album in Los Angeles in March (04) and Ray was making a duets album and I was scheduled to do a song with him, and I knew he was pretty sick...and we arranged for him to come down to the studio in Los Angeles.

"But I wasn't prepared for how sick he was. He was so frail but so feisty and so adorable. I've kept all the outtakes of him talking to me, which I shall treasure forever and we just sat in two chairs...and sang this song through two or three times. I think that was the last thing he ever did.

"It was the most upsetting day for me and uplifting day at the same time. People were crying in the control room... He was so weak."

16/07/2004 09:41